Salt Creek Militia - Republic KSGenWeb

The Salt Creek Militia was organized during the summer of 1868, composed wholly of settlers of Republic County, and numbering about fifty men, with W. P. Peake as first lieutenant, to rank from August 24th, and captain from September 8th, and W. H. H. Reily, as first lieutenant from the latter date. The purpose of the Salt Creek Militia was defense from hostile Indians.

Beebe, Charles W.
Beers, Horace
Bonham, William
Campbell, Charles A.
Campbell, William T.
Cooly, Adams E.
Cooly, Hudson
Cory, David
Cory, J. W.
Daughertee, Milton A.
Eckert, Thomas J.
Elder, Samuel
Frint, John H.

Hardaker, William
Hedgecoke, Thomas
Isaacs, John G.
Jackson, Hiram
Johnson, Hilbert
Kunkel, Noah
McChesney, George
McFarlane, John
McIntire, John
Meyers, Conrad
Meyers, Daniel
Meyers, Joseph
Morland, Daniel

Newlon, William W.
Oliver, Lanty
Oliver, William
Powell, Edmund
Reily, John C.
Reily, T. C.
Rowe, Z. P.
Sayler, B. F.
Shafer, George
Shafer, Jacob
Shafer, William
Smock, J. H

Spielman, West Union
Swan, John W.
Swan, Robert
Trowbridge, George J.
Van Natta, J. E.
Vining, Henry
Way, Philo P.
Wilcox, George W.
Willoughby, Augustus
Willoughby, George S.
Willoughby, W. H.
Young, Michael

Contributed by Patricia Adams
Source: A History of Republic County, Kansas, First Settlement Down to June 1st, 1883 by I. O. Savage, Topeka, Kansas, Daily Capital Printing House, Printers, 1883, pg. 25. This book is in the Kansa Room at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library. The information can also be read online in the 1901 edition of Savage's History of Republic County, Kansas, pages 47-56, as follows:

"The Independent Company of Salt Creek Militia" was well officered, tolerably well armed and equipped, and rendered very efficient service in repelling Indian invasions. The arms and ammunition for this company were furnished by the State, while each man furnished his own horse, saddle and bridle.

In June, 1869, R. T. Stanfield was commissioned captain of militia by Governor Harvey. During the summer he recruited a company of 65, which included all the available men for miles around. Of this company, Peter Johnson was first lieutenant, he also being commissioned by Governor Harvey, and was a gallant officer. This company was furnished by the State with Spencer carbines, ammunition and rations, each man furnishing his own horse, saddle and bridle. Served a little more than six months, the Indians soon learning to give this company a wide berth. It is quite probable that the settlements of White Rock would have been abandoned but for the protection afforded by this militia company.

Fearing trouble from the Indians, nearly all the settlers on Salt and Reily Creeks left their claims in May, 1869, and staid away until July, at which time a small body of militia, belonging to Captain Stanfield's command, was sent to their aid, with headquarters on the NE 1\4 of section 3, Belleville township, where a log fort had been erected.

This fort was on the north side of what is now the main road leading from Belleville to Scandia, and nearly opposite the present residence of John N. Snyder. The men comprising this garrison were Noah Thompson, Corporal in command; George Andrews, Wm. Little, Qliver Gross, Samuel Darling, William Hoover, Lew Hoover, William Robinson, Charles English and Ephraim H. Wilcox.

This force was a Godsend to many of the early settlers, as several of this command were expert marksmen, a dead shot on buffalo; and it has been reported that Texas cattle were sometimes mistaken for buffalo, as a large herd of them had been stampeded in this neighborhood about this time, and several head of stragglers remained in the vicinity for several days. At any rate, nearly all the settlers had a plenty of buffalo meat as long as any of the Texas cattle could be found.

These soldiers remained here from July until October 18th, when they joined the main company which went on a scouting expedition up the Solomon valley, going as far west as where Kirwin now stands.

The only actual settlers of Republic county known to have been killed by the Indians, within the limits of the county, were Gordon Windbigler, in Big Bend township, August 15th, 1868, and Malcolm Granstadt, a Swede boy, at Scandia, in the spring of 1869. The circumstances of the killing of Windbigler are about as follows: As before stated, he was killed on the 15th day of August, 1869, and it occurred on section 36, about three-fourths of a mile southwest of where Republic City now stands. The settlers in this immediate neighborhood at that time consisted of fourteen men, four women and five or six children. Their fortress, or place of rendezvous in case of danger, was on the NW 1/4 of section 1, town 2, range 5, and consisted of eight log houses built around a square, and was considered secure against any ordinary Indian attack. Among the men were R. T. Stanfield, Daniel and David Davis, W. R. Charles, Chas. Johnson, Lewis Boggs, Alexander Lewis, W. P. Phillips, James Egans, Gordon Windbigler, and __ Miller, a lame man, some of whom had taken claims in Jewell county. The women were Mrs. Charles, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Dan. Davis and Mrs. Thos. Lovewell. David Davis, Johnson, Lewis and Windbigler were making hay near the river, three miles above the fort, when they were suddenly surprised and attacked by about 75 Indians, mounted on ponies, and armed with revolvers and spears, or lances. Only one of the hay-making party, Lewis, was armed, he acting as sentry, and carrying a Spencer rifle. They had with them a team and wagon and one saddle horse. They immediately started for the fort, being hotly pursued by the Indians, Windbigler riding on horseback in advance of the wagon until when within about a mile from the fort, losing his hat, he stopped to recover it, which brought him in the rear of the wagon. Having recovered his hat, by rapid riding, he soon overtook the wagon and passed it. The Indians in the meantime were circling around in front of the party with evident intention of cutting them off from the fort and massacreing the entire party. The Indians, having discovered by this time that Windbigler was unarmed, rode up within pistol shot, fired on him, brought him to the ground, then speared him with their lances, one of which severed the juglar vein causing death in a few minutes. Lewis now displays great coolness and bravery. Seeing Windbigler fall, he leaves the wagon and advances to the assistance of his wounded comrade, with his trusted Spencer driving the Indians to a respectful distance, and remains by the dead body of his fallen companion until help arrived from the fort.

Windbigler was buried in a coffin made of puncheons taken from the floor of Dan Davis' shanty. For the benefit of the younger readers I will say that a puncheon is one of the parts of a log split in halves with one or both sides smoothed by hewing. The floors of the dwellings of the pioneer settlers who were fortunate enough to have any other than a dirt floor, were made of this material, as no lumber was obtainable within one hundred miles. Windbigler's remains were some time afterwards disinterred and removed to his old home in Indiana.

The same day that Windbigler was killed, Benjamin White, a frontier settler living on Granny Creek, now called White Creek, in Cloud County, was murdered by the Indians. Miss Sarah White, his daughter, a girl of sixteen, was captured and carried away into captivity. The following February she was rescued from the Indians by General Sheridan, in Northern Texas, and restored to her friends.

The next day after the massacre of Windbigler the entire settlement left, Mr. and Mrs. Charles going to Oak Creek, in Cloud County, some three miles east of where Concordia now stands, Lovewell and Davis going on to Clifton. Lewis and wife never returned to the settlement. Mr. and Mrs. Charles remained at Oak Creek until December 19th, 1869, when they returned to Big Bend and found their log cabin and everything that was left in it in a heap of ashes. It was now mid-winter, the ground being frozen to a depth of two feet, conditions, which to people of less self-reliance, confidence and hopefulness would have appeared discouraging in the extreme. But they possessed staying qualities and are both living to reap a golden harvest, the product of their toil and privation. Stanfield, Lovewell and some others of the settlers returned in the spring of 1869 and came to stay.

In June, 1868, a party of Indians attempted, in the daytime, to steal a horse of a settler named Horner, his team being harnessed and hitched to wagon and tied to a tree in front of his shanty. The Indians deliberately proceeded to unharness the best horse. Horner ordered them to leave, which order they disregarded, whereupon he opened fire upon them from the door of the shanty, which was returned by the Indians, a bullet striking his watch, entirely ruining it, but saving the settler's life. The Indians were repulsed and fled without securing the horse. In July of the same year, the Indians made another visit to the settlement, stealing two horses, one the property of W. R. Charles and the other belonging to W. P. Phillips, these being the only two horses in camp at the time.

One afternoon in May, 1869, an attack was made on Stanfield and Phillips, who were planting corn on Stanfield's claim, a man named Teneyck acting as sentry and O. C. Davis, another settler, guarding the house, all very narrowly escaping capture. At this time Davis lost his team of mules and Stanfield saved his horses by taking them into his log house, 12x14 feet, where they remained all night in Stanfield's best room. The house was occupied that night by two horses, four armed men and all of Stanfield's parlor and kitchen furniture. Next morning tiring was plainly heard up the river, the cause of which was at that time unknown to the settlers. Fearing the return of the Indians and a renewal of the attack, a dispatch asking for assistance was started by a special courier to Lake Sibley, where some soldiers were stationed.

The dispatch bearer was a cow, which had been brought by Dan Davis from Sibley some two weeks previous, and believing that if she was turned loose, would return to that place, the dispatch was written and securely fastened to the cow's head with a piece of red flannel cloth to attract attention upon her arrival there. This being done, she was turned loose with the best wishes of all for a safe journey and prompt delivery of the dispatch. After waiting three long and wearisome days for an answer, the settlers decided to visit Lake Sibley and learn why their appeal for assistance had been unheeded. On reaching Scandia they found that their dispatch bearer had been intercepted there and milked regularly ever since her arrival, presumably by Squire Lembke, as he informed the party that he had milk in his coffee that very morning. They also found John McChesney there, the only survivor of a hunting party of seven, who were surprised by the Indians, and after making a desperate resistence, six of their number were killed. This party was composed of John Winkelpleck and son, John McChesney, a man named Berg and three men from Michigan on a visit to friends in Marshall county. The McChesney who narrowly escaped by hiding in the brush until the Indians left is now a resident of Osborne county and uncle to the jovial, whole-souled John McChesney, the traveling man from Red Wing, Minnesota, who for several years has made regular visits to Belleville and other points in this county. The cause of the firing heard by Stanfield and his party the morning after the eventful night just described was now fully explained. They then decided to abandon their visit to Lake Sibley, and accompanied by McChesney go up the river to the scene of the massacre of the hunting party and bury the dead bodies as best they could. The bodies were all found and buried on the east bank of the Republican, on section 15, town 1, range 5.

Other outrages of a similar character occurred in the Solomon and Saline valleys on the same day, and the people of the entire state became thoroughly aroused, those of the lower Republican valley being especially agitated, as these atrocities had been committed but a comparatively short distance from their own homes, and they promptly responded to the call for assistance, as they had done many times before. Dispatches having reached Gov. Crawford, notifying him of these troubles, he at once wrote the following characteristic letter to W. P. Peake, captain of the Salt Creek Militia, which was received by him September 1st, 1868:

State of Kansas,
Office Executive Department,
Topeka, August 23, 1868.

Capt. W. P. Peake, Salt Marsh, Kansas:

Please say to the settlers of Cloud and Republic counties, that I am now using every means in my power to procure cavalry arms, with ammunition, from the government, and that I have notified the President that the Indians must and shall be driven at once out of the state, and not permitted to return. Also, that Gen. Sheridan has agreed to send troops immediately to the Saline, Solomon and Republican valleys for the purpose of protecting the settlers; that the people may rest assured that they will, in the future, be protected. If the government fails, the state will not, although I am seriously embarrassed on account of the present Indian policy.

I hope the people will remain at their homes and not abandon the country. No possible effort will be spared to secure protection, and to relieve the wants of those who are in a destitute and suffering condition. I shall not rest until the Indians are driven out of the state; and if they return within reach of the settlements, I trust the people will dispose of them in the most summary manner. I shall endeavor to do my duty. We have submitted to these atrocities until forbearance has ceased to be a virtue.

Yours Respectfully,
S. J. Crawford, Governor.

P. S. — Please perfect the organization of one company of militia, and have a place of general rendezvous in case of danger.
S. J. Crawford.

Governor Crawford served with distinction as captain in the 2nd Kansas Infantry, as captain in the 2nd Kansas Cavalry, and colonel of the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry during the war of the rebellion; was elected Governor in 1864, re-elected in 1866, resigned as Governor November 4th, 1868, to take command of the 19th Kansas Cavalry, a regiment raised to fight the Indians. He was an earnest, active and devoted friend of the frontier settlers, very many of whom still hold him in grateful remembrance.

The Indians of the plains were loath to give up their ancestral hunting grounds, and every summer camped and hunted in the Republican valley. In the spring of 1869, a party of Cheyennes and Arrapahoes came, as usual, and camped a few miles below the town of Scandia, where a small settlement had been made the previous summer. They killed buffalo, and skulked as near the settlers as safety would permit: One day in May, they raised their camp, and went off, apparently leaving the valley. The next morning the sentry on the hill left his post, his services then being no longer needed, as was supposed. Two boys, however were put to watch the settlers' horses, grazing on the townsite. Presently two Indians were seen swiftly riding down the ravine east of town. One of the boys saw their approach in time to run towards the house. The other boy, Malcolm Granstadt by name, was still at his post, till with a clubbed pistol, he was first knocked down, and then shot and killed. The horses, five in number, were driven away, and never recovered. Two of the horses taken on this occasion belonged to Robert Watson, of White Rock township.

The Indians claimed that, by treaty, they had a right to perpetual occupancy of this country; and this claim they kept up until 1870, when they very reluctantly abandoned all the country east of the Republican river, but continued their depredations for a year or two longer in the newer counties farther west.

The number of persons killed and wounded by Indians within the limits of what is now Republic county may be briefly summarized as follows: Emigrants killed in Big Bend township in 1857, five persons; wounded, two persons; Windbigler, killed in August, 1868; Granstadt, the Swede boy, killed in the spring of 1869; six buffalo hunters killed in Big Bend township in 1869, making a total of thirteen killed and two wounded.